Insulation is an important part of the building process; we insulate our homes, schools and businesses to conserve energy. Insulation helps to help us cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Students are asked to design an insulating box, one that would keep ice cubes from melting. Each group was given these materials:~ Cardboard box~Gallon plastic ziplock bag~Roll of tape~Gram balanceGroups were also provided with an assortment of insulation panels:~cardboard~styrofoam~cotton batting~6 sheets of newspaper~bubble wrapEach group added ice cubes to the plastic bag until they had measured 300 grams of ice. The bag and ice were placed inside the cardboard box and then insulation panels were taped on all six sides. The students left the boxes, untouched and closed, over night.The next morning, each group opened their containers. Any water found in the plastic bag was poured into a beaker and the remaining ice cubes were placed on the balance. The students' results can be seen here:Based on the data in the chart above, which material would be your first choice to use in order to prevent heat transfer and keep the ice cold?(1 point)Responses cardboard cardboard styrofoam styrofoam bubble wrap bubble wrap newspaper newspaper cotton batting cotton battingSkip to navigation

Question

Insulation is an important part of the building process; we insulate our homes, schools and businesses to conserve energy. Insulation helps to help us cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Students are asked to design an insulating box, one that would keep ice cubes from melting. Each group was given these materials:~ Cardboard box~Gallon plastic ziplock bag~Roll of tape~Gram balanceGroups were also provided with an assortment of insulation panels:~cardboard~styrofoam~cotton batting~6 sheets of newspaper~bubble wrapEach group added ice cubes to the plastic bag until they had measured 300 grams of ice. The bag and ice were placed inside the cardboard box and then insulation panels were taped on all six sides. The students left the boxes, untouched and closed, over night.The next morning, each group opened their containers. Any water found in the plastic bag was poured into a beaker and the remaining ice cubes were placed on the balance. The students' results can be seen here:Based on the data in the chart above, which material would be your first choice to use in order to prevent heat transfer and keep the ice cold?(1 point)Responses    cardboard    cardboard    styrofoam    styrofoam    bubble wrap    bubble wrap    newspaper    newspaper    cotton batting    cotton battingSkip to navigation

GPT-4o mini · Answer

To determine which insulation material is the best choice for preventing heat transfer and keeping ice cold, we would need to analyze the data regarding the amount of melted ice for each material used as insulation. Since the specific results from the experiment (amount of water collected, remaining ice mass, etc.) aren't provided here, I can provide a general guideline for making a decision based on typical properties of insulation materials.

Among the listed options:

Styrofoam is known for its excellent insulating properties due to the air pockets trapped within its structure. It is commonly used in coolers for this reason.
Bubble wrap also provides good insulation because of the air trapped in the bubbles, but it might not be as effective as styrofoam in a solid form.
Cotton batting, cardboard, and newspaper provide insulation as well, but they may not be as effective as styrofoam.

Based on the general effectiveness of materials, styrofoam would typically be the best choice for this task as it is specifically designed for insulation and is highly effective in reducing heat transfer.

In conclusion, if the results indicated that styrofoam had the least amount of melted ice, it would be your first choice. If no data is provided, you can choose based on the information explained regarding the insulation properties of the materials.